Goodies No. 27

damn, it’s been a helluva week. we had to have both our familydogs put down within a day of each other, and it wreaked havoc with my emotions. i was basically Ron Burgundy in this scene. every now and then Anton would walk in on me ugly crying at my desk, a concerned look on his face. on top of that i started to feel the pressure of juggling many balls at once in preparation for the baby – wrapping up work projects before i go on “maternity leave”, contemplating packing and moving house at eight months pregnant, being faced with the fact that i have no birth plan and have not read any baby books… i know it will all be fine in the end (this too shall pass).

consequently it has been quiet around here, and i’m sorry about that. but i do have a lot of nice things to show you, and i thought that the best way is a good old Goodies (once known as Nice Things). have a good weekend, and hug your pets.

I am so sorry about all this:( But it sounds like you really need a doula. It will be the best money you ever spent. You need someone knowledgable in your camp who is not related to you! Try Gayle Friedman, or call Sandy Standish (a midwife) and ask her who she can recommend. Hang in there!

I’m so sorry about your dogs :( I can’t imagine. I cried for days when my boyfriend’s cat passed away (and he wasn’t even my cat). Thanks so much for posting Goodies for us! I really look forward to them!

When it was time to put down our Lily Rose I lay down with her on the floor and hugged her tight until she was gone. That day and that moment will never leave me. Its been seven months and not a day goes by when I don’t think of her. I wrote about my experience on my blog and managed to raise some awareness about Leishmania which is the reason she had to be put down. Here’s the link to the post if you feel like crying a bit more. http://georgiesmummy.com/saying-goodbye-to-lily-rose/
In other news I am also pregnant – 23 weeks- and actually met with a doula today to discuss hiring her. I had a c-section with my first and really regret not having ‘a coach’ with me. Forget about baby books and other women’s stories and all that hoohah. Just get yourself a great supportive team and you’ll be fine.

So sorry to hear about your family dogs!
I definitely recommend ‘Birth Skills’ by Juju Sundin & Sarah Murdoch. This was the only book I read while pregnant and it totally put me in the right frame of mind for giving birth.

Having a pet put down is so sad because of the guilt and wondering if you could have done more and picturing their dear faces and missing them in bed at night and the list goes on and on. The last time it happened to me I had to go to a human funeral the next day in a town where we used to live. Naturally, one of the first people I saw was my old veteranarian who immediately started asking about my dear little Papillons and how much he missed them and how were they doing. I lost it big time and blubbered like a right baby. Thankfully, only the vet and his sweet wife knew I was blubbering over a dog instead of the dearly departed fellow we were burying. Thinking of you…..

Don’t worry- I’m almost 8 months pregnant and have no birth plan and haven’t really read any baby books (they stress me out!!) So sorry about your family dogs. Try to relax and be gentle with yourself if you can. I love following your blog and can’t wait to continue following once you have your little guy.

It’s miserable saying goodbye to a pet. They really are like family, the kind of family that truly loves you unconditionally and gives you their whole heart.

I second the comment about a doula. A good doula is so worth her weight in gold – she will use her knowledge and expertise to guide you through the murky waters of childbirth. I just gave birth recently to my third child, first experience hiring a doula, and I’m so glad I did and I wish I had had one for every birth.

One birth plan:
1. Go into labour.
2. Go into hospital (or wherever)
3. Take lots of advice from the people there. Relax. Have some painkillers! Breathe.
4. Repeat till it is over.
5. Have a lovely baby.
This plan works. My results of this are walking about the earth as people in their 20s, happy, healthy and intelligent. Everything else is extraneous. You are welcome and the best of luck.

that’s a lot, with or without the baking of a babe. and that birth plan is pretty much your best bet, because either way, it’s going to happen, and just ‘letting it’ will be the best thing you could do for yourself.